Architectural structures frequently are constructed to comprise a plurality of separate architectural units, with a space provided between to accommodate normal relative movements resulting from expansion and contraction, for example, and in some cases from seismic activity. One of the known types of such architectural joint systems employs an arched cover plate, which extends between and has its opposite side margins slidably received in housings provided at the edges of the adjacent structural units. As the structural units toward and away from each other, the side edge margins of the arched cover plate can move into and out of the respective housings at each side, within the design limits of the joint system, maintaining a continuous cover over the open space between the structural units. U.S. Pat. No. 3,750,359 is representative of such joint systems.
The above invention is directed to specific and valuable improvements in architectural joint systems of the type described above, rendering the joint systems particularly desirable and advantageous for use in connection with floor joints in hospitals and similar institutions, for example. In accordance with the invention, the design of the joint system is such that the arched cover and its mounting means present an almost imperceptible deviation from the smooth surfaces of the adjacent structural units. This is particularly desirable and important in areas where wheelchairs, stretchers, and the like pass regularly, and there is accordingly a need to avoid bumping and jarring. The structure of the present invention is highly simplified, and economical to manufacture, yet is significantly advantageous over known designs of the same general type.
For a more complete understanding of the above and other features and advantages of the invention, reference should be made to the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention and to the accompanying drawings.